Clothesline reel



Nov. 27, 1934.

H. BASLER CLOTHESLINE REEL Filed. sept. 19, 1952 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 27, 1934 T oFFlcE 1,982,042 CLOTHESLINE REEL Henry Basler, Kansas City, Mo. Application September`19, 1932, Serial No. 633,733

1 Claim.

This invention relates to rope or cable winding apparatus and has for a primary object, the provision of a. small hand reel formed of wire in a novel manner, whereby to present an exceptionally light and durable device which includes an effective guide for the rope being acted upon, a latch to preclude accidental unwinding; and means operable from the handle of the reel whereby said latch may be moved to allow rotation of the windlass in either direction.

An important aim of this invention is the provision of a reel of the above-mentioned character which has a planar windlass rotatably carried by a frame which circmnscribes the windlass'and which lies in the same major plane therewith when the unique latch has the parts thereof in engagement.

Another object of this invention is the contemplation of a light and strong reel that may be made of wire and operated by hand to collect, by winding, a length of rope and serve as a holder for said rope when not in use, said reel being equipped with an automatic latch which precludes unwinding of an excessive amount of rope after that which is desired has been released from the Windlass.

A large number of minor objects contemplated by the invention and embodied in the preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawing will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to said drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clothesline or similar reel embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the opposite edge from that shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the windlass forming a part of the reel and entirely removed from the associated units.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, top edge elevation showing the guide slot formed by the frame of the reel, and,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, detail, sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 1.

In forming a reel of the character contemplated, it is desired to build a frame 8 and form the same of a continuous piece of wire in a manner which will present bearings 10, a guide slot 12 and a handle portion 14, the latter being supplemented by a wooden grip 16, wherein .is formed the groove 18, a portion of which along one side of grip 16 is deepened to present cavity 20, into which may be pressed a portion of a resilient arm 22 when the hereinafter described latch is to be operated. As shown, all of the parts of this frame 8 are positioned in a single plane and the overlapping ends of the wire forming'frame 8 are spaced apart as shown in Fig. 1. A latch iinger 24 projects upwardly from bearing l0 at the overlapped end of the wire forming frame 8 and this nger should have an inclined face 26 formed thereon for the purpose later mentioned.

A windlass 28 is rotatably carried by frame 8 and likewise is formed of a continuous piece of wire augmented by iixtures 30 which reenforce, and serve to join together, parts of windlass 28 that are subjected to the greatest amount of strain when the windlass is rotated about its axial center through the medium of crank 32. Windlass 28 is journalled in bearings 10, and members 34 which directly engage the rope or cable 36 which is being wound are diametrically opposed and lie in the same plane as sides 38. Outwardly extending stub 40 is formed by the same length of wire which serves to create windlass 28 and as this windlass is rotated, stub 40 is moved against inclined face 26 of finger 24 and forces the end of resilient arm 22 inwardly until stub 40 snaps past finger 24.

'I'he resiliency of arm 22 maintains finger 24 in the path of travel of stub 40, thereby creating an automatic stop or latch which precludes rotation of windlass 28 in one direction unless arm 22 is moved inwardly. This movement is caused by the operator who is grasping grip 16. Simply squeezing together the portion 14 to force arm 22 into cavity 20 will be sufficient to move apart the interengaging members 24 and 40 that constitute this latch. When crank 32 is operated and rope 36 passes through guide 12 and onto members 34, the aforementioned action between inclined face of nger 24 and stub 40 will allow uninterrupted winding without regard to the po# sition of arm 22.

In unwinding rope 36, as much thereof may be removed from windlass 28 by pressing arm 22 into cavity 20 until the desired length of rope 36 has been unwound. Releasing arm 22 will immediately preclude further unwinding.

When the interengaging parts of the latch are together, all of windlass 28 and frame 8 will lie in the same plane. An eye 42 serves as a means for hanging the reel and rope 36' need never be completely disconnected from windlass 28.

The manner of forming both frame and windlass 8 and 28 respectively becomes at once apparent when following the path of the single piece of wire forming these units.

A reel made in accordance with this invention is exceptionally practical, economical to manufacture, has no parts to become worn or out of order and serves the function of handling a length rof .rope such as a clothesline in an exceptionally desirable manner.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: Y

A reel of the character described comprising a frame of a continuous piece of formed Wire to create axially aligned, opposed bearings, aguide and a compressible loop portion; a grooved handle associated with said loop with the groove orf` the former receiving one side of the latter, said groove being deep enough to permit com pressionvof the loop; a windlass rotatably journalled in said bearings and circumscribed by the said frame; a latch to preclude rotation of the windfrcs lass in one direction; and a fixture at each side of said windlass formed to secure together the portions of the windlass on each side of the axis thereof and to maintain the sides of the. windlass spaced fromthe said frame, the abutting faces of said fixtures and frame being perpendicular to the axis of the windlass to preclude longitudinal movement, said latch comprising a displaceable free rotation of the windlass in either direction, n

by compressing said loop.

HENRY BASLER. 

